Ann Romney Staying Out of VP Decision

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and Ann Romney campaigned in Northern Virginia last week, a region of a key swing state that is critical for Romney.

When it comes to the vice presidential pick, Ann Romney’s staying out of the way.

Mrs. Romney, married to presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, said she hasn’t been actively rooting for anyone on the shortlist because the running-mate choice is a decision Mr. Romney will have to make based on vetting.

On Friday, Mrs. Romney offered a look at the kinds of issues she would focus on if she were first lady: Breast cancer awareness, multiple sclerosis research and working with at-risk youth.

Mrs. Romney, who is a breast cancer survivor and suffers from MS, noted, “every first lady brings her own personality to the White House.”

Mrs. Romney’s role in the campaign has grown increasingly politicized as she’s made more frequent appearances on the campaign stump. Deployed to talk about women and the economy, Mrs. Romney faced criticism for being out of touch with the challenges average American women face. She embraced her role as a political figure in a private fundraising event last month, when she said the criticism she faced was a “defining moment, and I loved it.”

In the Fox News interview, Mrs. Romney said when she was diagnosed with MS it felt like her identity as a mother and a caregiver was being challenged.

“All of a sudden I couldn’t even take care of myself,” Mrs. Romney said.

She listed both Barbara and Laura Bush as first ladies she admired and spoke kindly about Michelle Obama’s composure in the White House limelight.

“I think she’s lovely,” Mrs. Romney said. “It is a very difficult position to be in, where your husband’s under enormous scrutiny.”

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